Disclaimer- I own nothing!!!!!

Juno magic- exactly- so its not all bad- there is a little surprise regarding that coming up in the next couple of chapters. Thank you

SofiaB- I had to put that in, after all she doesn't want to leave her and she doesn't quite believe it. Thanks for reviewing.

Uhhh. . . . I have no name- hi- do I take that as a sign of approval? Yes I think I will so as always I'll say thank you.

NessaThranduiliel- err…no…ok yes but it had to happen. Thanks

Tarawilyaiel Greenleaf- did I? Good- you should have cried- it was very sad. lol thank you for reviewing.

DesolateAznVamp- thanks and here you go- a new chapter- sorry its late.

Laurenke1- I'm glad you liked it- thanks

Mademoiselle Morte- I know! It's a shocker isn't it?! A special thanks o you as you read though this before I posted it! So thank you!

Leggylover4ever- I has to kill her- If she had lived it would have just turned into another impossible MS- more so than it already is. Thanks

Morithil- Thank you- but its not gonna happen. Hope you keep reading.

The tent that they were in was drafty and although they didn't feel the cold they did they felt frozen.

Outside the land was barren, no plants grew anywhere near the building, the ground was muddy and the sky told them it was going to rain once more.

The smell of burning flesh reached their noses causing their stomachs to twist. The bodies of the orcs would burn unceremoniously in piles whilst the fallen elves, which thankfully numbered a lot less than expected, were covered with respect and care.

The noise and smell of the aftermath of the battle permeated the air in a fog of fire and ash it seemed. But nothing was as suffocating as the emotions between everybody as the day dawned.

---

Legolas and Elrohir sat with Thalia in one of the few tents that had been erected after the battle as Glorfindel and Haldir led the men in a whole scale operation to destroy what remained of the stronghold.

Her body was soaked in a thin sheen pf perspiration making her hair stick to her forehead and her dress cling to her body.

Legolas allowed his gaze to drift down to the swell of her stomach where their unborn lay. Placing a hand on her stomach he closed his eyes and concentrated. The child was alive but it was not responding to his calls. The child had responded badly to its mothers distress and the loss of their sister.

"I cannot tell the sex"

Elrohir nodded,

"The child is shutting everybody out and will continue to do so until Thalia is calmer"Looking at Legolas, Elrohir could see the struggle that was taking place and he had to fight to keep his wits about him.

"I love her; I cannot lose her…or the babe. But if I had to choose I would have you save my wife"

The dark haired elf said nothing, merely bowing his head and placing a hand on his friends shoulder.

Elrohir knelt beside the metal bathtub that they had found within the stronghold and hand dragged back to the tent where they now sat.

His pewter eyes watched with concern as Legolas lifted his wife's torso and laid her across his chest so that they could remove her dress without any more pain than they could help.

She moaned quietly as they peeled it from her bloody skin, disturbing her wounds and making waves of white-hot pain shoot through her body. Though she did not notice it as clearly as she normally would have, she welcomed it.

Elrohir saw the look of pain and dismay in his friend's eyes and more of his wife's body was revealed to them. He immediately masked his emotions as he had been taught to. He was needed as a healer now and he would do whatever he could to the best of his ability.

Thalia moaned and opened her eyes drowsily. Her eyes were unfocused and dull, a worrying but expected appearance.

She cried out, her fingers gripping Legolas' tunic as the two of them carefully lifted her and lowered her slowly into the warm water. The water immediately began to turn colour, testimony to the dirt and grime that had covered her skin and the blood that had lingered.

Elrohir withheld a gasp as her dress slid down her back revealing the whip marks to their fullest, knowing that cleaning them would have to take priority, no matter how painful it would be. The cuts on her arms and legs were not serious but they would also need to be cleaned.

Her face was black and blue with bruises, but they would fade with time and they would not leave any scaring behind. And her beautiful hair that once hung gracefully down her back would have to be cut. The tangles that bound it all together would never come out with a comb.

The dilemma of what to wrap her in after her bath was important. They had brought clean linens and a dress for her but the problems would come when they tried to ease it over her skin. Looking at her Elrohir suspected that it would be easier to clothe her bottom half in a petticoat but dress her top half in Legolas' spare tunic.

Legolas pulled her trembling body against his and held her tightly but gently. Tears were flowing from his eyes in small rivers that he was unable to stop and he was sure that he was shaking as well.

Elrohir held back his own emotions and with the decision that her internal wounds were more important he left the couple to grieve.

Feeling the need to hold her to him he removed his outer tunic and his boots before jumping into the bath with her. He pulled her trembling body to his chest, feeling and the pimples that rose on her skin from the cold and the rough marring of her smooth skin underneath his fingers.

Legolas stroked her hair in the small hope of comforting her or letting her know that he was there. His own pain was choking him and he didn't know what to do. Thalia was fading and the thought of going to see Eleni's body was weighing heavily on him. He did not want to see Eleni's body but if he did not he would never forgive himself.

The bathwater had turned a disgusting copper colour and it was making his clothes stick to his body uncomfortably.
Shaking his head he gathered Thalia into his arms and got out of the bath.

She panicked when he made to place her on the floor and she flung her arms around his neck tightly. Her feet touched the floor and she screamed hysterically.

"Don't leave me! Don't leave me!"

Her voice was shrill and her eyes were wide and shining with tears. He wrapped his arms around her naked body and held her close, stroking her hair and whispering nonsense words to her to calm her down. She calmed a little but her fear was still evident.

"Shh. I won't leave you. I'm not going anywhere"

She nodded her head but did not let go.

"Thalia, watch me"

He let go of her slowly and ran his hands up her arms before slowly making his way over to a small pile of linen, his eyes never leaving hers as he did so.

His hands found the material and he quickly strode over to her and wrapped it around her body before retrieving a smaller one. He gently towelled off her wet skin, grimacing at her wounds. Now that they had been cleaned they did not look as gruesome but they would need to be looked at urgently before they became life threatening.

She stood still and let him dry her body. She looked like a lost child, her thin hands grasping the front of the linen and her eyes dull and unfocused.

"I can't go back…what if…I can't…my son…what am I gonna do…cos…there's
nothing left"

Legolas closed his eyes as he battled with the ties on his wet tunic. He shrugged the tunic from his shoulders and reached for a towel, trying to think of a sensible thing to say.

"We will get though this together Thalia. You are not alone"

"But we cannot…you don't know…they took her from me…give her back"

It took him a moment to realize that she didn't know what she was saying. In her shocked state she was merely trying to make him understand how she was feeling. Her hands make wild gestures as the tears rolled down her flushed cheeks. She continued to try and form the words that she wanted but no sound would come out, her throat hurt too much.

He frowned, unsure of what to say and saddened by what she was going through. He did the only thing he could think off. He strode over to her and picked her up, cradling her in his arms as he made his way over to the bed.

He sat down and waited as Thalia settled on his lap and burrowed into his chest to make herself safe as Elrohir entered the tent. She had not yet seen Elrohir and he had no idea how she was going to react.

"Thalia, Elrohir is here. He is going to check your wounds, is that alright?"

Her body tensed and her eyes widened but she nodded her head in recognition if in nothing else.

Being conscious of her nervousness Elrohir knelt by Legolas side so that she could see him. He smiled reassuringly and held his hand to her. Like a frightened child she looked to his face and then his hand. She nodded and buried her face into Legolas' bare chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart.

Legolas placed one arm around her body and held her head to his chest with the other, effectively shielding her from the gaze of anybody who may happen to interrupt them as Elrohir began to move the linen from her back.

Thalia visibly stiffened and cried out, alarmed and pained by the light touch of Elrohir's fingers on her skin.

She was vaguely aware of somebody whispering something to her but it didn't matter. She could feel him all over her…the smell of them…the noise and she
wanted to run.

Legolas nearly panicked when she began hyperventilating and her body began to tremble.

Knowing that her body had finally allowed the shock of everything to be released Elrohir reached for the bucket that he had brought in with him. She heaved into it, crying as she did so.
He rubbed her back soothingly while Legolas held her. She sat back, looking exhausted and very much like a small child.

"Are you finished pen-neth?"

She nodded drowsily as she turned in her husbands arms.

"Not coming back,"

She mumbled before closing her eyes and falling into a comatose state.

Elrohir breathed a sigh of relief as her eyes fluttered shut, hopefully that would make his job easier. What he was about to do would be agonising for her had she been awake and he didn't wish to listen to her cries as he wiped the dirt from her wounds.

"I have to go and see Eleni, I will return in a while"

The look of pain on Legolas' face was almost too much, he looked lost, hurt and alone.

---

Glorfindel sat on the floor of the cold tent where Eleni's cold body lay. His back was sore, as he had been sitting against a wooden

Stood from his seat on the ground where he had remained for the past few hours

Eleni's body lay cold on a bed of cloaks that many soldiers had kindly donated to wrap her body in.

The bruises and cuts did not mar her porcelain face. Her golden hair framed her face beautifully and if it had not have been for the yellow tinge to her skin and the blue of her lips she could have been mistaken for being asleep.

He felt nothing at that moment, he was numb. His granddaughter was dead. The child that he had doted upon, giving her sweets and toys when she asked and taking her on picnics and taking her riding would never again kiss him or jump on his bed in the morning to wake him up or bring him breakfast in bed that consisted of raw eggs and bacon and bread.

A tear slipped down his face and he smiled at the memories.

"I will never forgive myself for this"

He looked up to see Legolas standing behind him, his eyes firmly fixed on his daughter.
Glorfindel stepped back and slid his arm around Legolas' shoulder in a fatherly embrace.

"There was nothing that you could have done. The battle was forged years ago, you could not have stopped it"

Legolas steeped back, suddenly angry at everything.

"My daughter was innocent. I am innocent. My family should have been kept safe from anything that threatened!"

His eyes blazed as he shouted at Glorfindel. The balrog slayer felt surprisingly calm as he looked at the young elf that stood before him.

"I failed them Glorfindel. I failed. I did everything in my power and I
failed to keep them safe"

The prince turned to his daughter, kneeling beside her and taking her hand in his larger one. He ran his fingers over her face lightly as tears shone in his eyes.

"Look at her. Why were we given such a gift only to have her taken from us?"

The fatherly love that Glorfindel had witnessed many times before was so painfully obvious at that silent moment. The wind stopped and everything seemed to fall silent. Legolas opened his mouth to say something but he could find the words to do it. His brow creased and is jaw locked. He sat down and lifted Eleni's body into his arms as a final act of desperation as he tried to find the words to express his emotions.

Finally he spoke as he rocked himself back and forth, his voice thick
and hoarse.

"I had never thought that I would have to bury my child"